“Manny” the Manatee - Kaitlynn Mackie
“One sunny Monday afternoon at the Mote Marine Lab on Summerland Key, Florida, Kaitlynn and crew were having a leisurely afternoon in the sun, snorkeling and kayaking. Tim teased Kaitlynn about seeing manatees. She desperately wanted to see one and told her fellow Bio friends that a manatee could very easily be in the Mote harbor right now. She pointed to a rock and said “that rock looks like a manatee.” Everyone laughed and told her she thought EVERYTHING looked like a manatee. Suddenly, Dori chimes in “Hey, that rock is moving.” Kaitlynn jumped up and screamed “It is a manatee! It really is!!” She’s so excited she almost jumped right in the water but remembered that manatees are federally protected and Florida has a hefty fine for touching a manatee. So, she had the brilliant idea to hold a hose over the water so the manatee will swim over. They are curious and love fresh water. Dr. Carrier said he wasn’t sure if we should do that. Instead, he “ordered” us to wash the kayaks because they were “looking kind of dirty.” We fired up the hose to wash them and the manatee came right over. Kaitlynn smiled so big that tears came out of her eyes. The class decided to call him or her “Manny.” Manny rolled around for us for awhile and then swam away to find some other new friends, completing Kaitlynn’s perfect day.
Please keep in mind that manatees are often harmed by boat propellers. Therefore,
Boaters: obey no wake zones and keep your speed slow. If a manatee is spotted, shut your motor off immediately. It might be “Manny”
TIM CAMERON:
The manatee we saw today was a perfect example of the human impact upon the Florida manatee population. The manatee we saw had scars up and down its back and its tail was sliced up. It was an absolutely amazing experience to see the manatee but the whole experience was bitter-sweet. To see such a gentle animal scarred like that is horrible. The manatee can live up to 60 years in the wild but will rarely make it to that age. Most are killed by wounds from motor boats far before they die of natural causes. The manatee has no natural enemy in the wild, only motorboats speeding along and striking them with their propeller. I have only seen manatees in the wild twice in my life, yet both times the manatees were injured. Even in captivity the manatees are maimed or injured to the point where they will never be able to return to the wild. The manatee is a federally protected and listed as endangered, yet this still does not stop them from being injured every year. The manatee is an amazing and gentle animal that deserves our respect. Whenever one is seen it should be treated with respect and observed from a distance for the gentle giant that it is.
